Elk Fire Update – 08/02/2026

Fire Update – Elk Fire
Sunday, August 2nd, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1
Justin Conrad, Incident Commander
Information Phone: 970-299-5357
Email: 2026.elk@firenet.gov
Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Current Situation: The fire exhibited little growth and continues to remain within its existing footprint. As a warming and drying trend occurs over the fire, areas with retained heat may continue to smolder, and produce smoke.

In Division A, suppression repair continues on the north end in conjunction with resource advisors and heavy equipment operators. The resource advisors decide where to place water bars to better drain water away from roads and other pathways. Boulders and logs will be placed at entrance points on steep dozerlines to discourage unauthorized motor vehicle access which causes resource damage.

Division X is currently unstaffed but there are ground resources available to quickly respond to any new fire starts or increase in fire activity. The process of removing water handling equipment has been completed.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Moisture levels will continue to diminish throughout the day while temperatures will rise with a minimal chance of rain producing storms. These conditions will facilitate more active fire behavior along with visible smoke production.

Evacuations: Current evacuation information is available for Hinsdale County at hinsdalecounty.colorado.gov.

Closures: The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests closure information is available at fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/alerts. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office closures can be found at blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district.

No Fly Zone: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the Gold Mountain and Elk Fire areas is in effect. Flying drones near the fire is prohibited and can interfere with firefighting aircraft, potentially grounding aerial suppression operations. For more information on flight restrictions, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Fire Statistics:
Size: 2,319 acres
Containment: 49%
Total Personnel: 59
Location: 7 Miles NW of Lake City, CO
Reported: July 9, 2026
Cause: Lightning

For More Information:
Information Phone: 970-299-5357
Email: 2026.elk@firenet.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2026elkfire
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/cogmf-elk-fire
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/2026ElkPublic